The AIADMK staged a walkout from Assembly Wednesday condemning the ‘black flag’ protest against Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi by DMK workers and other outfits in Mayiladuthurai Tuesday. Before staging the walkout, AIADMK MLAs led by Edappadi K Palaniswami and O Pannerselvam raised slogans in Assembly and alleged that the security of the governor was compromised by the ruling dispensation. Addressing the reporters, Palaniswami later said state police gave protection to the protestors who attacked the governor’s vehicle instead of dispersing them. “The attack on the governor’s vehicle and the convoy has left a black stain on the reputation of the Tamil Nadu police department. It shows how the police department and the state intelligence department have become ineffective. If there is no security for the governor in the state, what will happen to the common man? The incident shows that the law and order situation has completely deteriorated in Tamil Nadu,” Edappadi said. Reacting to Edappadi’s comments, Chief Minister MK Stalin said the AIADMK was trying to politicize a non-issue. Citing the letter of the governor’s aide de camp to the state’s director general of police, Stalin said it was mentioned in the letter that Ravi and his convoy passed unharmed. “We have arrested the protestors and legal action has been initiated against them. Reports of flags and stones being thrown at the governor’s vehicle are false. The police kept the protestors under control by setting up barricades. Even though the protest was conducted in a democratic manner, we are taking due action against them. In this Assembly, I assure you that this government will not compromise on the security of the governor. The Opposition thinks that it can politicize this issue, but I will never let that happen,” Stalin said. Tamil Nadu BJP Chief K Annamalai alleged that the governor’s car was attacked by DMK cadres with stones and flag poles. Annamalai even wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah urging him to seek action against those involved in the protest. On Tuesday, Governor Ravi was on his way to meet the chief pontiff of Dharmapuram Adheenam when hundreds of protestors waved black flags and raised slogans against him, purportedly to protest against the alleged delay on the part of the governor in forwarding the anti-NEET bill, among others, for presidential assent. Notably, Chief Minister Stalin and DMK allies boycotted the ‘At Home Reception’ in Raj Bhavan recently.
